Monday, March 30, 2015

DIY Pastel Paint Dipped Napkin Rings

This DIY project first appeared on Martha Stewart Living where I am a West Coast Expert and Contributor. I wanted to create a fun and easy project that would celebrate my favorite colors of the spring season and give Easter dinner guests a little something sweet to take home besides the classic chocolate bunny.

These are super easy to make and your guests will have a little keepsake at the end of the meal. Clothespins have never looked so chic.

Prepare your paint. Decide on at least 5 different colors for your paint-dipped clothespins. I used a mixing palette to add a little white to each of my chosen colors to make the paint thicker and more opaque.

Step 2:

Tie a piece of baker's twine around the top of your clothespin -- make sure you tie a bow (and not a knot) so that it's easy to untie later. Pour your first paint color into a clean spice jar. Pour enough paint so that when you dip your clothespin in the paint covers about half of it.

Step 3:

Prep your drying area. I made a makeshift drying rack from a set of mason jars, a drinking straw and some washi tape. Set two mason jars on a flat surface. Tape a drinking straw across the top of the jars so you have a place to hang the wet clothespins.

Step 4:

Dip! Once your drying area and paint jar are ready, it's time to dip. With a steady hand, lower a clothespin into the paint until it touches the bottom of the jar. Let the clothespin sit in the paint for a few seconds, then lift up. Wrap the baker's twine around the straw on your drying rack and tape down with some washi tape.

Step 5:

Let dry. Allow your dipped clothespins to dry for at least 2 hours before taking them off the drying rack. Allow them to dry overnight before creating the napkin rings and place settings.

Step 6:

Fold your napkins. For this project, I folded my dinner napkins in thirds and then in half. You can get creative with the folding if you'd like.

Step 7:

Cut and tie your ribbon. For my napkins I needed about 20 inches of ribbon per napkin to create a side bow. Place the ribbon underneath the napkin and tie a bow in the front. I placed mine to the side, but you can mix it up by tying the bow in the middle. A middle bow is perfect if you are not using place cards.

Step 8:

Write the names on your place cards. I used a chalk pencil, but pen or maker, even paint would be a nice touch.

Step 9:

Once you have created your place cards, gently slide a clothespin over the tied ribbon. On the underside of the ribbon, slide your place card, so it is centered underneath the clothespin. Repeat for each place setting.

Now your table is ready to welcome spring in style! Don't forget to invite your Easter dinner guests to take their pretty pastel clothespins home with them!

Enjoy! Share your results in the comments or tag me on Instagram @zelmarose!

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About Me

Zelma Rose is known for our wanderlust inspired goods in prints and patterns that evoke our deep love of nature. Entirely handcrafted from needlework artist Lisa Anderson Shaffer's original patterns, each premium Zelma Rose design is made to order in our mountainside studio right here in Fairfax, California.